


The Coldest Night

by Sarahbellum4



Series: Finis Tenebrae [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Domestic Fluff, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Ear muffs- literally, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Gen, Holiday Cheer, Love, Original Character(s), Surprises, gift exchanges
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21945082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarahbellum4/pseuds/Sarahbellum4
Summary: Get some holiday spirit! Seven pages of awesome antics, stupid holiday gifts, and the sweetest fluff to rot your teeth!
Relationships: Original character Halfling/ Original character orc
Series: Finis Tenebrae [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580110





	The Coldest Night

_ Sometime in the not-too-distant-future in a big fancy house somewhere in Finis Tenebrae, the party has gathered.  _

Snow whipped against the house, rattling against the protective wards. The temperature had dropped to a new low, going well below freezing and driving every sane person and animal inside. On occasion, hailstones could be heard bouncing against the roof and windows. Although the weather was dreary and downright dangerous, the atmosphere of the house was bright and cheery. Laughter could be heard echoing through the halls accompanied by the occasional clinking of glasses and dinnerware. 

The Cooking of the traditional feast had nearly been a disaster. Cece had been banished within the hour on the grounds of trying to superheat the turkey at dangerous temperatures by way of magical inventions, which caused the first turkey to not only catch fire but to crumble into the fire. A second turkey was eventually obtained, but Cece was not allowed to touch any of the food.

Durmekk had been shooed from the kitchen by Ash and Tyrian who jokingly reminded the group that at one time in his life, he had eaten large amounts of human flesh, and although he hadn’t done it in a while, it was sure to have damaged his taste buds somehow. Durmekk laughed and took the teasing good-naturedly and left the kitchen, but not before getting the ingredients from the taller shelves for Xyila in a futile attempt to stop her from climbing on things. 

Ash and Tyrian spent very little time in the kitchen, preferring to gather around a low table making various sketches with Cece or chattering about various magical items or recounting tales of their past. Durmekk soon joined in, regaling the group with tales of his travels and adventures as well. 

This left Frank, Xyila and Alister in the kitchen to prepare the food, and while only Alister was particularly knowledgeable in the art of cooking, Xyila and Frank both called upon their few cooking skills to help out. Xyila was well skilled with any type of vegetable, having had to become skilled at proper identification and cooking of the greens from her home life and time before the party. 

“You wouldn’t know it, but I can’t count the number of times Ressie got it in her head to eat some strange new plant. She ate juneberries once, puked her guts out that night and tried to eat them the next day!” Xyila recounted while shelling peas, “And, yes, I have to admit that when I was just starting out I ate some less than pleasant foods because I didn’t know what they were or how to cook them, but I learned real fast.”

Once the food was ready, the party gathered around the table to enjoy the food. A variety of mouthwatering dishes were laid out before them, each having ties to someone’s culture or background. Frank remembered always having a turkey at his holiday dinners, and Xyila made her mom’s mashed sweet potatoes that were a real hit with everyone. Durmekk whipped up a spiced meat dish that he had made before being thrown from the kitchen that vaguely looked like a duck of some sort, but everyone who ate it swore it tasted like some sort of fruit. Ash and Tyrian had brought some ale and other drinks to add to the festivities, making sure everyone’s cup stayed full all night. Cece and Alister hadn’t brought their own creations to the table, but were touched by the offer to make something from any one of their backgrounds. Caoimhe was excited at the idea, but admitted she didn’t remember how to make any of her traditional dishes from her past, and didn’t have the ingredients to make any of the ones she knew. 

By the time dinner was over and all the plates were ferried to the sink to be washed, everyone was somewhat tipsy and stuffed full of food. Booze had been spilled on the table and floor from overflowing cups being lifted too fast, swung to the side carelessly in the heat of the moment of storytelling. 

Xyila, because of her small stature, the alcohol got to her first. Her face got flushed and her laughter got louder, but the real clue to her state of mind was when she got drunk enough to get handsy with Durmekk, literally climbing onto his lap and kissing him, with tongue, in front of the entire crowd. The hooting and hollering seemed to pull her out of her stupor, and when she pulled back from him and looked around, her entire face turned a bright red and she smacked Durmekk on the shoulder for letting her do it in the first place. 

The party made their way into the sitting room, piling onto the couches and chairs around the fire. In the corner was a large spruce tree covered in baubles of all kinds, some glowing with magic and others made of knicknacks and woodland trinkets. Cece had created a sparkling star to sit on the top of the tree that let of a warm, unearthly glow and hummed with magic, filling the room with a feeling of peace. Pinecones and berries dotted the tree as well as a variety of colorful crystalline bulbs. Under the tree sat everyone’s gifts, most wrapped in plain brown paper. Ash had drawn funny faces and jokes on hers with pencil, and Tyrian had hidden a few less than appropriate drawings on some of his. One of Cece’s gifts started to smoke at one point, causing her to curse angrily at it until it stopped, Caoimhe standing at the ready with a bucket of water. Frank had a couple of odd, lumpy looking presents that he promised were better than how their wrapping appeared. 

As everyone handed out their gifts, they continued to tell stories about their adventures, like how sick Ash got on the sub and how she hung on Frank, and how Durmekk has a really loud sneeze that once woke Xyila from a dead sleep and she gave him a black eye out of reflex. 

Once the laughter died down gifts were passed out to their intended recipients to be opened. While not everyone had received a gift from every person, they made sure everyone got something good, even Reslyn. 

Alister was the recipient of a fancy magical spyglass that could detect magic, a gift from Cece and Caoimhe, as well as a nice pair of fur lined gloves from Xyila and Durmekk. Cece got some fancy holsters for some of her guns from Ash, Tyrian and Durmekk, and her father had gotten her a fireproof cloak that everyone agreed was the most practical gift of all. 

Xyila was sitting on Durmekk’s lap in the armchair when it was her turn, so presents were piled all around them in a semi-circle. After nearly falling onto the floor trying to reach them, it was determined that she couldn’t be trusted with getting her own presents and so everyone took turns handing them to her. In a large lump was a new shoulder holster for Stormfang, made so it wouldn’t fall off of her or impede her in battle from Caoimhe. Next was a potted plant of herbs from Alister and Cece who also gave instructions on how to care for it as well. Frank gifted her a new hairpiece made of metal that vaguely looked like a dragon, which Xyila insisted Durmekk put in her hair right now. While he messed with her hair, she continued to open gifts, paper tearing apart under her claws, occasionally getting mumbled curses at her from Durmekk as she squirmed. Xyila and Durmekk both ended up getting leather holsters from Ash and Tyrian, who argued over whose leather work was better until Cece broke it up by pointing out they were both far better with guns anyhow. When Xyila opened Durmekk’s gift, a large wool cape with fur on the shoulders, he leaned over and kissed her head softly.

“My other present for you is upstairs, my love,” He told her, sitting his chin on her head. 

His words caused the entire room to break into a mixture of catcalls and demands to get a room, to which Xyila flipped them off and made as if to jump off his lap and attack them. “He’s talking about the blanket he made me, you gutter-brained fools,” She shouted above the laughter, blushing as her words simply gained her more laughter and a bunch of doubtful looks. Sighing, she flopped back onto her lap, burrowing under her latest gift in a useless attempt to hide. 

Durmekk opened his gifts next, happily accepting the traditional blade Caoimhe and Alister said he was quite familiar with in past lives, and gratefully accepting the matching sheath provided by Cece. He got a very ugly looking fur hat from Ash that had the animal making an obnoxious face, and a nice haversack from Tyrian that had a small bag of coins already inside. Xyila sat up and playfully whispered her gift to him in his ear, whatever she said causing Durmekk’s face to turn a bright shade of red that made everyone laugh. Durmekk awkwardly cleared his throat, gently pushing Xyila back down.

“How-how about we go back to opening gifts now,” He said, scratching the back of his neck and trying to avoid eye contact with the rest of the group. Xyila sat tall and proud on his lap, feeling smug about making her mate so embarrassed, despite the fact she herself would be embarrassed come morning when the alcohol wore off. 

“Here sweetie, how about cha drink this instead for the rest o’ the night?” Ash asked, switching her mug out for one filled with warm apple cider. Xyila’s eyes lit up as she nodded, nearly falling off Durmekk’s lap again as she made grabby hands at the cup, making everyone snicker. Once she finally got her hands on it, Xyila settled back down against her mate’s chest, content, holding the mug to her chest and using her new cape as a blanket.

“Good idea Ash, cut off the short-stack before she gets too frisky. There are some things I don’t wanna  _ ever _ see,” Tyrian grumbled, taking Xyila’s old cup and downing it, shuddering at the thought. Unrepentant, Xyila stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation, earning her a funny face in return from Tyrian. 

Frank opened his gifts next, carefully tearing off the paper and string. Inside the first gift from Alister, Cece and Caoimhe was a pair of fluffy boot liners he could hide inside his boots without anyone noticing. Also in the package was a photograph of him and his old horse, taken when he was younger, that brought tears to his eyes. Quickly wiping them away, Frank muttered a quiet heartfelt thanks before moving to the next gift. 

Inside the wrapping paper was a plain wooden box with a peg latching it closed. Curious, Frank pulled the pin and undid the clasp, only for the box to spring open, blurs of color flying out at the group with a loud  _ WHIZZZ  _ of sound before landing. Ash bust out laughing at the look of surprise and terror frozen on his face, and once he calmed down he realized several things all at once. Inside were spring propelled tiny serpents made of cloth and feathers that had been planted in the box, likely by Ash. Glancing over at her now rolling on the floor with laughter, Frank amended his previous statement. It was definitely Ash. Then, he looked down at himself, smiling at how ridiculous he looked, one of the hot pink snakes snagged in his mustache, its attached googly eyes staring up cross-eyed at him. Soon enough, his smile turned into full blown laughter that was echoed by the rest of the group. The laughter grew to a crescendo when someone spotted one of the snakes, having landed halfway in the fire, burning, staring up at the party with a pleading gaze. 

Once the laughter died down, Ash broke the lull of quiet with a shout. 

“Look in the damn box now, you don’t think I just got ya a bunch of snakes, now do ya?” 

With a sigh, Frank dutifully glanced in the box, only to find a large container of mustache wax and a tiny comb inside. Thanking her, Frank went to brush his mustache with the tiny comb, attempting to keep a straight face as he did so. He failed. Also under the tree was a letter from the Empress that he quickly hid in his coat pocket as everyone catcalled. 

Tyrian received a new pistol from Ash and Cece, with a matching holster from Durmekk and Xyila. 

“Ignore the badger chew marks, they add character to it,” Xyila added, glancing down at the badger by their feet, happily chewing on her gifted honeycomb as she ignored the group’s stares. 

Also in the pile of gifts was a kilt from Durmekk, which Ash insisted Tyrian try on and wear. Moments later, a cry of distress was heard from the bathroom, and with a sigh Durmekk stood to go help him. 

“Continue with the presents, I will go to assist our friend with his new garment,” Durmekk said as he sat Xyila down in his spot on the chair as everyone cheered. 

Ash tore open her presents ferociously, paper scraps flying everywhere. The first one opened was a pair of grey crocheted gloves and a fur shoulder wrap from Xyila and Durmekk. 

“So, who made what? I am going to guess that Durmekk made the gloves, excellent work,” Ash teased as she slid them on.

“Oh, no not this time, I made the gloves and he made the wrap. I mean, yeah he has been crocheting with me, but he just makes little things for around the house,” Said Xyila, pulling her feet under herself as she sipped her cider.

Ash gasped dramatically. “Little things? As in, like, little baby things?  _ Oh my Lawrd are you pregnant?”  _ Ash screeched, leaning over to try and poke Xyila’s belly, only to have it swatted away as she hissed.

“I swear if you make me spill my cider Ash, I will.... I don’t know what I’ll do but it won’t be good!” She said in a stage whisper before leaning over to whisper something to Ash.

Ash’s whole face lit up as she grinned, leaning forward to pull Xyila off the couch into a bear hug, squealing the entire time. Frank leaned over and seamlessly took Xyila’s mug and set it on the table out of harm's way. 

After they settled down, Ash now having coerced Xyila into sitting next to her, more presents were opened. 

Ash received a bag of explosives from Cece, as well as a fancy medallion from Frank.

Everyone sat up straighter when they heard the door down the hall open, Durmekk’s bulk blocking most of the hall from their view. Durmekk hauled behind him a very reluctant Tyrian by his shirt collar, picking him up and placing him in the middle of the room. The kilt was almost identical to Durmekk’s except for its much smaller size, and Tyrian appeared to be attempting to curl inwards on himself and disappear entirely. Everyone cheered at him, and once he started to relax Durmekk pushed him back onto the couch to sit, causing him to flop down and make Ash and Xyila bounce on the other end. With a shriek of laughter and horror, Cece, who was sitting across from him let out a loud yelp before busting into laughter.

“Well, thats a kilt all right!” Cece yelled, and Tyrian turned a shade pink before he got a devious look in his eye.

“What, you need a better look?” He asked, moving as if he was going to flash them again. 

“Tyrian, we’d need a magnifying glass to find it, don’t try an’ bluff,” Ash said, leaning over and wrapping an arm around him as he gave a squawk of outrage. 

Once they settled again, everyone pushed their gifts to Caoimhe to open, and despite her mental protests that she didn’t want gifts, she ended up accepting them. Inside the boxes was a woolen cloak, as well as a fluffy crochet blanket from Durmekk and Xyila. Alister gave her a leather bound notebook and pencil, and Cece had given her a fancy looking necklace of silver and gems. 

When she opened the last box, Caoimhe paused and gave the rest of the group a look of pure confusion as she lifted the gift from the box. Xyila snorted, covering her mouth to muffle her laughter. 

“ _ What are these?” _ She asked, holding up the two offending scraps of fur. Ash, Xyila and Tyrian were snickering to themselves, unable to contain their laughter. Finally, Xyila broke.

“Well, you see, they are -ahem- they are ear warmers. You-you put them on your ears to keep them warm,” Xyila stuttered, miming sliding them over her ears. 

Caoimhe gave the three a dubious look, eyebrow raised in question before sliding the pieces of fur over her ears, smiling at them when they all laughed. 

“ _ Like this, yes? _ ” She asked, tilting her head and showing them off to the group. The entire room burst into laughter and noise at the sight, Caoimhe sitting proudly smiling at them, happy to have made them laugh at something so simple. 

The night continued, full of more ale and cider, loud chatter and teasing insults being thrown, and eventually a sleepy Xyila nearly dozing off at Ash’s side before she was awaken again with the promise of more warm cider. The candles were burning lower and lower, and eventually the party made their way to bed. 

Xyila and Durmekk went first, Xyila giving hugs to everyone before heading upstairs, sharing a conspiratory look with Ash that no one noticed, Durmekk following behind her. Reslyn curled up on her bed by the fire, sprawled out and snoring loudly within minutes. Alister went to bed soon after, thanking everyone for their gifts and generosity. Caoimhe and Cece followed soon after, Cece still talking a mile a minute while Caoimhe shooed her upstairs while nodding along with the conversation. Ash had started to drift off on Tyrian, who woke her up by pinching her side, earning him an indignant smack on the shoulder as she got up. 

If Ash hung back and stood by Durmekk and Xyila’s door on her way by for a moment, hearing hushed whispers for a moment, then a happy “Really? You are sure?,” Followed by soft sniffles and happy cooing noises, well, no one else would ever know, now would they? 

The wind blew against the wards as the embers crackled in the hearth, as everyone slept peacefully on the Coldest Night.


End file.
